Stake grappling and pulling machine



Jan. 14, 1958 JANZER r L 2,819,872

STAKE GRAP PLING AND PULLING MACHINE I Original Filed Sept. 10, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 amen Wow- 54 4/7120: .d/nd 050mm 1958 L. H. JANZER ET AL STAKE GRAPPLING AND PULLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 10 1953 STAKE GRAPPLING AND PULLING MACHINE Lorin H. Janzer, Bowling Green, and Lloyd Raymond Harriman, iemberville, Ohio, assignors to Urschel Engineering Company, Bowling Green, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application September 10, 1953, Serial No. 379,492, now Patent No. 2,733,950, dated February 7, 1956. Divided and this application December 22, 1955, Serial No. 554,711.

6 Claims. (Cl. 254-18) Our invention concerns a machine for seizing an exposed end of an earthbound stake, such as those used to hold a road building side form in screeding position, and for pulling such seized stake from the ground to free the form.

Those familiar with road building know that, in road construction using concrete or other similarly bound aggregates, it is common practice to pour the aggregate, before it becomes set, on the road bed between spaced parallel and generally vertically extending side forms. These side forms are usually metal lineal sections of about ten foot lengths. They are laid end to end in successive abutting relation to form curbs on each side of the road strip to be poured. The upper edges of the forms provide a gauge for finish screeding the aggregate following pouring. Often times, this upper edge is turned upon itself to also provide a rail-like flange over which pouring and finishing equipment sometimes track, in the road laying operation.

In order that these forms may be used repeatedly for successive pourings on the same or difierent road constructions, the forms are not only made in the described sectional lengths but they are also prepared for easy removal after the aggregate has set or cured. It is necessary, however, before the form sections can be moved, to draw the stakes with which they were held during the road pouring and finishing.

The stakes holding the form sections are, of the necessity of being capable to hold the forms from movement when equipment tracks over them or the aggregate courses are poured or applied against them, usually made from metal rod or dowel stock driven Well into the road bed. These stakes, as a consequence, become earth bound and most difficult to remove. The difliculty of their removal is enhanced by the need, if clearance for road building equipment to ride the forms is to be had, to drive the stakes so that only a short stub end of each extends exposed above ground. Such short ends present the only part available to seizure or for working, in attempting to release the stakes.

Also, the very nature of the stakes, without heads as in spikes and with only smooth lateral surfaces to grip, makes seizure still more difficult. In addition, the presence of the road forms, with their bracing flanges and parts limit the freedom one might use to maul or pry the stakes free.

The removal of these stakes, prefacing as it does the freeing of the side forms sections for reuse and being the task that it is, has often required the contractor to purchase and maintain a considerably larger stock of side forms, if he desires to efiect continuous pouring, than would be necessary where the forms to be readily freeable. In addition, the freeing of stakes absorbs non-road producing labor, increasing the burden costs of road building. Ways and equipment have long been sought to eliminate this troublesome problem.

Our invention has for an object to provide portable power actuated stake pulling equipment. By reason of ited States Patentsuch provision, not only may the power needed to exert stake pulling be motor generated but the mass and bulk of the pulling equipment and power generator may be easily conveyed from place to place and from stake to ating power generator and converter are all mounted. A

particular object in this connection is to provide a truck having a triangular frame, on three wheels, with certain of its wheels, preferably two in line, in riding contact with the side forms and substantially in vertical plane with the stake pulling equipment. By this arrangement, equipment embodying our invention can be used soon after pouring, without injury to the curing aggregate because the forces of stake drawing are transmitted through the Wheels and forms to the road bed, as distinct from being applied to the then curing aggregate.

A further particular object appertaining to the truck of our invention is to provide means operative, without supervision of the equipment operator, when once rendered effective, to assure that the two mentioned wheels ride the side forms and that the truck remains in constant line relative to the roadway and forms as the truck is moved progressively to each undrawn stake.

Our invention has for a still further object to provide advantageous structures and arrangements which will appear from an examination of the following description and the accompanying drawings. In the description which follows, We describe completely a specific embodiment of the invention in the best mode now contemplated by us for carrying out our invention and, in addition, we outline the manner and process of making and using the same. The accompanying drawings show such embodiment and, by reference to the description, illustrate details and relations mentioned therein.

Fig. l of the accompanying drawings shows, in perspective view, stake grappling and pulling equipment embodying our invention, in position at work on a roadway. Fig. 2 illustrates an end view, in elevation, of the equipment shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates a plan view of one of the cantable wheels provided on the equipment shown in Fig. l.

The stake grappling and pulling machine which illus trates the best mode of an embodiment of our invention indicated at 11, and power convertors, indicated at 12,

are mounted. Connected to the power convertors is a stake grappler and puller, indicated generally at 14.

The Wheel supported truck 10 has a frame 21. The frame 21 in plan is preferably of a basic triangular outline. It has a pair of l. beams 22 and 23 of equal length forming the base leg of the triangular outline. The L beams are joined together, as by welding, so that their narrow flanges 24 engage and overlie each throughout their lengths and their wide flanges 25 depend therefrom in facing spaced parallel relation forming a somewhat shrouded chamber 26 between the flanges 25. The frame also has two pairs of angle iron struts 27 and 28. The struts of the pair 27 are of equal length and having their ends connected, as by welding, with points on the narrow flange 24 of the L beam 23 on opposite sides and equally spaced from the lineal center of the L beam 23. From their connection with the L beam 23 the struts extend parallel to each other and at right angles to the L beams 22 and 23 to points on one side of and spaced from said L beams. The struts of the pair 28 each have one of their ends connected, as by welding, to points of the narrow flange 24 of L beam 23 near opposite ends of said L beam. Each .strut of the pair 28 extends inclinedly to the L beam 23 Patented Jan. 14,1958

power generator elements,

from its edge and nearer the center.

awa e 3 from said point of connection therewith toward the free ends of the pair of struts 27. The free ends of the struts of both pairs 27 and 28 are joined by a spider 29 of rectangular outline whose longer sides 30 parallel the L beams and are spaced therefrom, for reasons and advantages becoming later apparent. Supported on the spider 29 is a housing 31 for enclosing the power generator ele ments 11 to be later described.

The frame 21 rides on wheels. In the construction described herein, there are three Wheels used, one 35 of which preferably has a rubber and pneumatically inflated tire. The other pair of wheels 36 have flat metal rims.

The wheel 35 runs free on a stub shaft 37 supported on the pair'of struts 27. Preferably, we provide a pair of plates 39 which extend in spaced parallel relation to each other between and downwardly from the struts 27, at points below but inwardly oif center of the spider 29. Each plate 39 has an opening (not shown) axially aligned with .a corresponding opening in the other plate and providing journal bearing support for the stub shaft 37, in a manner common to the art. The ends of the stub shaft are threaded and receive .a nut 4.0 thereon to lock the shaft in an installed relation in the plates 39. The rubber tired wheel 35 rides the portions of road spaced inwardly The provision of said rubber tired rim on wheel 35 becomes advantageous in moving the equipment over the roadway from one stake pulling position to the other, particularly in a period soon after the road forming aggregate his been first poured.

The other wheels '36 are preferably mounted in line near opposite ends .of the paired L beams 22 and 23 and in the chamber 26 between the wide flanges 25 thereof. Each wheel 3.6 is similarly mounted so it should suffice to describe only one, with the detail that is duplicated in the he Each wheel 36 runs free on a stub shaft 42. One end of the stub shaft 42 extends through a journal opening 43 in the wide flange 25 of the L beam 23. This end of the stub shaft 42 receives a washer and is threaded to receive and has a nut .44 threadably mounted thereon. The other end of the stub shaft 42, extends through a bushing .45. The bushing .45 has a cylindrical outersurface 46 and an inner journal cylindrical surface 47. The inner surface 47 is eccentric to the outer surface 46 of the bushing 45,. It is on this inner cylindrical surface 47 that the said other end of the stub shaft 42 journals in extending through the bushing 45. The outermost portion of said other end of the stub shaft 42, like its opposite, also has a washer and nut 49 threadably mounted thereon. The bushing is mounted in the wide flange 25 of the other L beam 22.

The L :beam 22 has a circular opening 50 in its Wide fiange25 of a greater diameter than opening 43 in L beam 23. The opening 59, while cross registering with opening 43, is eccentric thereto along a line radial to the opening 43 and extending parallel to the lineal extension of said L beams. The opening 50, however, exactly fits and forms a journal bearing for the bushing 45 and engages the outer surface 46 thereof. Preferably, the bushing has a handle 52 extending radially to the axis of the outer cylindrical surface 46. When the handle 52 is moved angularly about an axis corresponding to that of said outer surface 46, the bushing 45 rotates in the opening 50. As the bushing is thus rotated, the relation, eccentric-wise, betweenthe inner surface 47 of the bushing 45 in L beam 22 and the opening 43 in the L beam 23 changes between two relative positions.

In one position, shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing, the handle 52 points in a direction paralleling the L beams and toward one end thereof. When in that position, .the bushing .45 and opening 50 in relation to the inner bushing surface 47 and the opening 43 serve to cant the stub shaft .42 in relation to the wide flanges 25 of the L beams. The described canting of the stub shaft 42 causes .the svheel -36 to toe-in toward the flange all) 4 25 of the inner L beam 23. Now, when the truck 10 moves in the direction indicated by arrow 55 in Fig. 3, the truck tends to move toward the road center and away from the side of the road.

The other position, to wln'ch rotation of the bushing .45 Will place the stub shaft 42 and wheel 36, is a reverse one to that shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. In that other position, the handle 52 points in the direction opposite to that towards which the arrow 55 points in Fig. 3 and the stub shaft 42 will then he canted inward toward the flange 25 of L beam 23 in the opposite direc tion. As before, the canting of the stub shaft 42 will cause wheel 36 to toe-in. Now, when the truck is moved in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 55 (Fig. 3), the truclg 10 tends to move toward the road center away from the road side. By having the thus ror e shin s 4. o arliusts can; e heels 36, the uc ma be e s l a juste q o ki i e h right or left hand side of the road or for up or down the roads sa w- Beneficially counter-active to the wheel canting prodes in des r bed a e news resisting e end cy of the truclg 1!) to respond to the in-toeing of wheels 36. This last named means cooperates with the provision for wheel vcantin g just described, in the sense of assuring that wheels 36 traclg properly, without the use of rim flanges which mi ht undesirably cut into the road finished s rface. aid means preferably includes riders or roll.- .53 wanted an the l.- sam T rollers 58 ro11- y 125. 5? With the staked road building side forms 60, the structure of which is well known to the art, but ma he e be onven y d cr b d- Referring to Figs, 1 and 2, where these side forms 60 are best shown, one will see that these side forms are basically angle irons each approximately of about 10 et ngth and having quite large section. One leg 61 of the angle iron form acts as a foot adapted to rest upon the graded road bed. The other leg 62 of the form is upstanding at right angles to leg 61 and provides a curb against which the aggregate is poured. In some cases, like that shown in Fig. l, the leg 62 may have a channel projection 63 or other configuration which, in the finished road, forms shapes, such as a relief groove 64 hawn.-

Suitable bracing gussets and webs extend between the legs 61 and 62, One variety of these is shown at 65 in Fig. 1.. Most Often, the upper edge of the leg 62 is bent upon the leg and itself to form a large bead 67. The head .67 provides flat rail face 68 with a depending edge flange .69. The rail face 68 provides support for the wheels of the aggregate pouring and road finishing equipment, during the building operation, and serves as a sclieeding or finishing gauge to the road builder. It is on this face that the heretofore described wheels 36 are ,set to ride, while the rollers 58 rotatably engage, somewhat, cam-wise, the edge flange 69.

The rollers 58 are each identical in form and support. Hence, todescribe the details of one should suffice for both. Each roller 58 is rotatably supported on a stub shaft 7Q. The shaft 70 is supported in a bracket 71. Each bracket 71 has an upright extending triangular outlined web 72 and a generally square step 73 at rightangles to the web 7 2 The web '72 and step 73 are integratedas by welding, to one end of L beam 22 so that the ,web {72 and step '73 extend outwardly and at right angles to the wide flanges 25 of the L beam 22. The step 73 has a journal opening therein for receiving, in bearing relation, one end of a stub shaft 70. If desired, the shaft 70 may also support a thrust spacer sleeve 79 for holding the roller 58 to rotation in a plane corresponding with that intersected by the edge flange 69 when the-wheels 36 engage the rail face 68, The end of the shaft 70 may be threaded to receive washer and nut 80 and thus lock the roller 58 sleeves 7Q shaft 70 and bracket 71 together in operative relation.

This operative relation will be appreciated, when it is recognized that with the wheels 36 positioned to toe-in, as explained, and the rollers 58 in engaging the flanges 69, limit the trucks response to wheel toe-in. The resultant elfect is to produce forces preventing the truck 10 from running off the road and, particularly, the wheels 36 from off the rail face 68, as the truck is moved along the road to engage successive stakes. This eliminates the need for flanging the wheels 36 and assures that the weight and stake pulling forces exerted by and on the truck 1%) will be transmitted through the wheels 36 and the side forms 60 and to the road subgrade, rather than on the curing road aggregate.

The truck 14}, as before mentioned, supports power generator elements on the spider 29 and within the housing 31. In the particular construction described, compressed air is utilized as the power medium. Hence, the power generator elements include a motor driven compressor 84 suitably mounted on a superstructure frame 81, above the spider 29, and a suitable pressure tank 82 below the compressor. The tank 82 is connected by a conduit 83 to a power convertor 12 on the truck 19.

In the particular described construction, the power convertor comprises a cooperating cylinder 85 and piston. The cylinder 85 may have an exhaust manifold 86 and communicates with the pressure tank 82 through the conduit 83 and a valve (not shown). Preferably, the cylinder 85 is mounted near the upper end of a vertically extending column 88. The column 88 engages and, by welding, preferably, at its lower end is connected to the narrow flange 24 of L beam 23 at points intermediate the pair of struts 27. Preferably, the column 88 is a channel bar having a projecting tongue 89 at its upper end. The tongue 89 meshes with clevis parts 90 on the upper end of the cylinder 85. A suitable clevis pin 91 joins the cylinder and column together. Thus, the cylinder 85 may swing away from the column 88 in fitting most effective to exert stake pulling forces, as will later appear.

The piston of the cylinder 85 connects with the stake grappler and puller 14 by means of piston rod 92. Preferably, such connection is of an articulated character. This enables easy manipulation of the grappler and puller 14 to effect registration with the stake, preliminary to exerting the draw force. Also such connection assures a direct straight line transmission of the forces exerted in pulling.

The stake 126 and its companions shown in the drawings are representative of those common to art. It will be observed they are made from metal dowel stock of about 1% diameter, a ground olf pointed end, a smooth shank and no head, as spikes or nails have. Usually there are three 60. The forms 60 have suitable openings through which the stakes are driven into the sub-grade. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, there is an oval opening 132 in the gusset 65 in vertical alignment with circular opening 133 in the leg 61. In addition, the gussets may have shims or wedges 134, in opposed and vertically spaced relation. In setting the side forms shown in Fig. 1, the stakes 126, after the form has been properly lined and graded, are each placed, point down, extending through the oval opening 132, between shim wedges 134 and through the opening 133 in the form foot. With a sledge or power hammer, the stake 126 is then driven well into the road sub-grade. Particularly, each stake must be driven so that the upper end 125 is below the plane of the face 68 and thus out of the way of road construction machinery passing thereover. The relation of stake ends 125 to the form parts, when properly driven, is fairly shown by the stakes marked S, in Fig. 1. When thus stakes required to anchor each side form- 6 driven, the operator by driving the shim wedges 134 locks the form to the stake 126, all in-a manner known to the art.

In operation, after the aggregate has been poured and has set up sufficiently stiff for pedestrian passage, the

truck 10 is mounted with its wheels 36 riding the rail face 68 of a line of side forms 60 and its pneumatic tired wheel 35 riding over the finished surface, as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The operator then sets handles 52, pointing in the direction along the successive forms 60 in which the truck 10 is to be moved; With the motor of compressor 84- started, the operator is ready to begin work.

He first rolls the truck so that the chuck head of the puller 14 is generally above the exposed end 126 of the first stake to be pulled. Then grasping the handle and through controls (not. shown) mounted thereon, in a manner known in the art, he opens the exhaust 86 of the cylinder 85 and moves the chuck head 110 downwardly. This can be easily done because, once cylinder 85 exhausts, the weight of the parts overcomes most tendency of the partsto resist such downward movement.

Having lowered the chuck head 110, the operator manipulates it to a position engaging the stake end 126. Now, the operator is prepared for the pull. He manipulates the controls on handle 130 to again open communication between conduit 83 and cylinder 85. The pneumatic pressure exerts full upward force in the cylinder tending to pull the stake 126 upwards and free, to the position shown by the stake marked F, in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.

When the stake 126 is drawn, the operator, by shift of the controls on handle 13th, reduces pressure in the cylinder 85 lowers the chuck head 110, freeing the then drawn stake. The truck 10 is then moved to the next stake and the same procedure enacted. In passing over the rail face 68 of successive side forms, the rollers 58 engaging the flanges 69 cause the wheels 36 to track the rail face 68.

It will be noted that in each stake pulling operation, the forces needed to effect extraction of the stake are exerted fromthe chuck head 110 upwardly through the articulated connection thereof with the tongue 89 at the top of column 88. These forces, to the extent that the clevised end of tongue 89 is offset horizontally from the vertical plane of support provided by wheels 36, tend to tip the truck 10 side-wise. However, the truck frame 21 extending from the L beams 22 and 23, particularly the angle iron struts 27 and 28, in relation to the mass of the tank 82 and compressor 84 supported on said struts provides a lever arm means exerting forces in balancing counteraction to the stake pulling forces about a fulcrum provided by the wheels 36 and keeps the truck from tipping. In sov doing the major forces ultimately come to focus and bearing on the form 60 andby it are advantageously transmitted to the sub-grade of the road.

This application is a divisional application to our copending application S. N. 379,402 for a Stake Grappling and Pulling Machine, filed September 10, 1953, which issued February 7, 1956, as United States Letters Patent No. 2,733,950.

While we have illustrated and described the best form of our invention now known to us, as required by the statutes, those skilled in the art will readily understand that changes may be made in the disclosed construction without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a frame for a portable machine to operate in conjunction with road-building side-forms, a means rollably supporting the frame to ride on an upper edge of said side-forms and comprising wheel and roller elements; a stub shaft in engagement with said frame and said roller element to support the roller element for rotation below said frame about a substantially vertically extending axis and in a position to rollably engage one side of the upper edge of said side-forms; an axle in engagement with said frame and said wheel element to support the wheel element for rotation about a substantially horizontally extending axis in a position to rollably engage the upper edge of said side-forms and having, in its horizontal plane of extension, an angular relation of less than a right angle to the plane of the path through which said stub shaft moves as the roller element supported thereby rollably engages and moves over one side of the upper edge of said side-forms whereby the wheel element on said axle is canted toward the other side of the upper edge of said side-forms from that rollably engaged by the roller element thus generating, in the rollable engagement of the wheel and roller elements with the side-forms, forces resistant to a movement of the frame transverse said side-forms.

2. In a frame for a portable machine to operate in conjunction with road-building side-forms, a means for rollably supporting the frame to ride on an upper edge of said side-forms and comprising wheel and roller elements; an axle in engagement with said machine frame and wheel element to support the wheel element for rotation about an axis extending through a substantially horizontal plane and in a position to engage said upper edge of the side-forms; a stub shaft in engagement with the machine frame and the roller element and in a plane having an angular relation to the plane of the axis of U rotation of said wheel element to support said roller element in position to engage a side of said upper edge of said side-forms; a sleeve bearing part with an inner cylindrical bearing surface in rotatable engagement with an .end of said axle and an outer cylindrical bearing surface in rotatable engagement with said frame; said outer and inner bearing surfaces of said sleeve part being eccentric to each other; said sleeve bearing part having means in engagement therewith for rotating the sleeve bearing part relative to the frame whereby said end of said axle is moved relative to said frame through an are about the other end of said axle to adjustably cant the axle and wheel element mounted thereon by movement of said sleeve bearing part.

3. In a frame for a portable road-building machine to operate in conjunction with side-forms for retaining road forming aggregate, a means for rollably supporting the frame including a wheel element; an axle in bearing engagement with said wheel element; said frame having a pair of cylindrical journal bearings in co-axial spaced relation; one of said journal bearings being in bearing engagement with one end of said axle; the other of said journal bearings being of greater diameter than the axle engaging journal bearing; a sleeve member having an ins ner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface; said inner and outer cylindrical surfaces being eccentric to each other; the inner cylindrical surface of said sleeve member being in bearing engagement with the end of said axle opposite to the axle end engaged by said frame journal bearing; the outer cylindrical surface of said sleeve member being in bearing engagement with the frame journal bearing of larger diameter; and a handle in en gagement with said sleeve member for rotating the sleeve member about the axis of the frame journal bearing of larger diameter to thus move the axle end in bearing engagement with the sleeve member through an are about a point coinciding with the axle end in bearing engagement with the frame journal bearing of smaller diameter and thereby to cant the axle and wheel element relative to he r me.-

4. In a portable grappling and pulling machine for re moving s kes holding road-buildingside-forms in psi-. tion pp'a road bed, said machine having a frame, a stake aging c uc said ame; pneumatic. cylinder and P aid ylinder being in engagement with said frame whereby said cylinder and piston are supported for movement relative each other along a vertical extending axis; a train of interengaging relatively movable elements in engagement at one end thereof with said piston and at the other end with said chuck whereby the relative move ment of said cylinder and piston causes movement of said chuck and means on said frame for rollably supporting it and including cooperating wheel and roller elements; an axle in engagement with said Wheel; said frame having a pair of cylindrical journal bearings in co-axial spaced relation; one of the last named journal bearings being in bearing engagement with one end of said axle; the other of said lastnamed journal bearings being of greater diameter than the one in engagement with said axle; a sleeve member having an inner cylindrical surface in engagement the other end of said axle to support said axle in a substantially horizontal extending plane; said sleeve member having in addition an outer cylindrical surface in engagement with the last named frame journal bearing of greater diameter; said inner and outer cylindrical sleeve member surfaces being eccentric to each other; a handle in engagement with said sleeve member for moving the sleeve member about the axis of said frame journal hearing to and from two positions in each of which said axle is positioned in canted relation to a line along which said side-forms extend to cause said wheel to track inwardly of said side forms when the frame moves in a-direction toward that in which the axle has been canted; a stub shaft in engagement with said frame and with said roller element and being in a plane having right angular relation to said horizontal plane of extension of said wheel element axle to support said roller element in position to engage an outer side of said upper edge of said side-forms and thereby resist forces tending to move the frame inwardly of said side-forms by reason of the canting of said wheel element axle and thus cooperating with said wheel element to maintain the frame in rolling support on the upper edge of said side-forms.

5. In a portable grappling and pulling machine for removing stakes holding road-building side-forms in position on a road bed, said machine having a lateral extending frame, means on said frame for movably supporting the frame including a pair of wheels journaled on said frame in alignment with each other and adapted to ride over road-building side-forms, a stake engaging chuck; power operated means in engagement with said stake engaging chuck and with said frame at a point proximate and on one side of a plane extending vertically and intersecting the axes and rims of said pair of wheels, said power operated means being adapted when operated to cause the chuck to engage and draw a stake upwardly; and a power generating means on said frame at a point remote from and on the opposite side of said plane and adapted to transmit power tosaid power operated means, the mass and disposition of said power generating means. relative to said plane exerting a resistance to tilting movement of said frame about points of engagement of. said wheels when said power operated means and stake engaging chuck exert strain to pull a stake upwardly.

6. In a portable grappling and pulling machine as de scribed in claim 5 in which the point of connection. of said power operated means to said frame is vertically aligned with a point exterior of the road-building sideforrns on which the frame wheels are then riding and the point of connection of said power generator means to said frame is vertically aligned with a point interior of said road-building side-forms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,880,338- Benson, Oct. 4, 1932 2,182,057 Chicoine et al. Dec. 5, 1939 

